


Broken in the woods

by Sketchy_Vore



Series: Undertale vore one-shots (from Tumblr) [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game), underfell (fandom)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, Content isn't nearly as dark as the chapter titles, Endosoma, Endosomatophilia, Fell Sans is an asshole, Gen, IT'S A JOKE, Indifferent Sans to father figure, Lamia, Mute Frisk, Naga, Naga Sans, No graphic description of violence or injury, Platonic vore, Soft Vore, Underfell Sans, Vore, but graphic description of pain and hunger though, but he isn't evil, endo, lamia sans, mentions of abuse, no sexual relationships - Freeform, safe vore, teens and up for pain and cursing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-01-28 02:24:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12596036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sketchy_Vore/pseuds/Sketchy_Vore
Summary: When things seem like they are bad, can we just hope for the best for once, please?~A soft idiot that still has fate in humanity, aka me----------------------------------------------------Honestly, Frisk thought their miserable existence was over the moment they first laid eyes on the Red Serpent. But it's starting to look like fate has different plans. And it might actually be...not that bad.(I highly suggest to check out the work this was based on before reading.)





	1. Pain

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Broken in the Woods](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/334256) by Vincent V. Cava. 



I flinched slightly at the cracking of bone, but didn’t look up. He always liked to test the bones of his prey, snapping them with his fingers or crushing them under his fangs. You’d think after almost a week I'd have gotten used to the hunter’s eating habits, but I still clamped my hands over my ears when he jumped his prey. I never knew such fierce predators as mountain lions and wolves could literally scream in fear.

I felt tempted to look up as I heard a deep, contented hum. I restrained myself though—the last time I’d almost lost what food was left in my belly. I don’t think there was anything left in there now though. It didn’t matter, I knew all I’d see would be a huge ruby tongue licking splatters of blood off of ivory claws.

“aaaaah, a whole pack. that was nice.” I lifted my head just a little bit, enough to see the thick translucent tail as he turned to me. Through the jelly-like tissue, I could make out the shadows of enormous ribs. Right above the base of the chubby, red snaketail a scarlet sweater struggled to stay over his rounded belly, black parka jacket hanging open around his frame with one skeletal hand in his pocket. I already knew the other one was reaching out for me. 

I didn’t dare to meet his eyes though.

Long claws wrapped around my waist, almost delicately plucking me away from my spot against the redwood. I was lifted up higher and smoothly tucked into one of the giant, warm pockets. The hand stayed to rest there, still wrapped around me. I had given up trying to shove it away a long time ago. I didn’t have the energy for it. With my lower energy level I also felt colder, and even though it was hard as rock, sharp, and belonging to someone I was terrified of, the boney hand was also very warm.

“good job runt, that was quite the satisfying meal.”

‘At least I’m not the meal.’ I thought to myself in an attempt to cheer myself up. It didn’t help much though. ‘Well, at least, not yet.’

My stomach gave a deep rumble, and I curled up as much as the giant hand and my paralyzed legs allowed me to. Honestly, I had thought I was done for when I fell off the cliff. Then, when I woke up with all sensation from my lower back down gone, I thought I would die slower from hunger or dehydration. When a bear came lurking over my weak body, I entertained the thought that it might maybe be a quick death after all. And when the hunter shot out of the trees and crushed the bear’s bones with his tail, I prayed it would be over instantly.

Naga, lamia, monster, call it whatever you like, I was certain I was done for after the bear slid down his throat. Instead though the creature had ducked down to get a better look, deep scarlet eyes watching me thoughtfully. After just staring at me for a few minutes, his mouth had pulled into a wide smirk, showing off sharp, curved teeth and fangs the length of my entire body, one of which gleamed golden. He proclaimed he still could have use of me and whisked me away deeper into the forest, where no sane person would dare to tread.

I hadn’t protested, I couldn’t. My voice had been robbed from me even before the day I was born. Mother always said I didn’t deserve a voice, that even the gods knew I would never have anything important or worthwhile to say. I didn’t deserve to have any opinions, I could never call out for help, I could never tell anyone what was wrong.

I was never allowed out into the village, but I did go into the forest a lot. Father owned a successful pharmacy, most famous for his potions and lotions containing the magical Golden Flowers. They had the power to cure any ailment that the human body didn’t have since birth, and soothe those that had always been there. They only grew out here in the forest, where they fed off the strong magical presence of the monsters that roamed in the dark depths. So no one dared to go find them. No one but me. It was the least I could do to earn my keep at home, at least that’s what they told me.

“hey, brat, you okay? y’re shaking quite a bit.”

I was drawn out of my near-sleep state to realize that I was. My stomach was hurting from hunger, and as I was now fully awake and focusing on it the pain suddenly got worse. I didn’t have a voice to groan, but a sharp breath did manage to leave my mouth.

The hand around me grasped a little bit tighter, pulling me out of the pocket and up to his face. The thick ridges above his eyesockets furrowed as he inspected me.

“yo, you okay human? ya look like, really pale.”

My vision started going fuzzy and I felt dizzy and sick. My stomach gave a lurch, but I tasted nothing but slime and slight acid in my mouth. Why? Why was it all suddenly playing up now? Why not before? My stomach suddenly gave the loudest rumble I’d ever heard, and I would have been embarrassed if it wasn’t for the  _pain_. It was as if the bulb of a mace had been put into my belly, and my stomach was desperately clamping down on it, trying to see if it could digest the object. Another sharp breath left my body in a tiny, high-pitched wheeze.

“wow, wait, w-when did you last eat?”

I must be going crazy now. He almost sounded worried, bringing me closer to his face and his eyes going a bit wider, as if their darkness would swallow me up. Or maybe that was just me blacking out.

“hey runt, ar̷̺̪̖̐̈é̸͖͉͆̉̕ ̶̨̢̘́̇ŷ̵͖̞͕̔̅͂o̷͚̙͓̯̿ȕ̴̮́̑͘ ̷̆̽ͅȯ̵̯̘̗͜k̷̡̨̤̘̿a̵͖̿͆̃̐ͅy̵͇̏̓̂̕?̷͇̮̮̤̎  h-hum̵̘̊̏̊͊ą̵̜̝̪̠̪͈͖̪̇͊̅͆̑̂͂̒̚ņ̷̣̣̉̏͝?̵̧̛̹̔̽͌̈́̓…̴̻̞͓̺̔̈́̾͌̉…̷̨͉̲͔̏͒̆̚...kid!?"

 

 

* * *

 

I felt a little less terrible waking up this time. Still far from good, but at least not so miserable that I’d rather drown myself in a pond than open my eyes. And a lot of my pain was gone. Not even the irritating gnawing in my stomach that I had gotten used to was there.

I was sitting up, I noticed. How I was doing that in my sleep and with a broken back I didn't know, but it hit me like a sharp icicle through my chest. I was slightly leaning forward on large claws interwoven in front of me, with what I guessed where his thumbs firmly rubbing up and down my back on each side of my spine.

A steady rumble sounded behind me as my breathing quickened.

“don’t. move.”

I wanted to shudder, but tried to keep as still as I could. What was even going on? Why wasn’t I just back in his pocket? What was he trying to do now?... What was in my stomach?

I wasn’t as hungry as I had been before, my stomach no longer tense and empty. What did he do? What did he make me eat? I think he asked me when I ate last before. Did he make me eat something that could be poisonous? I was feeling sick again, worry twisting my stomach and making me gag slightly. In an instant one of the large claws was at my throat, tilting my head up and pressing down slightly.

“don’t you dare throw that up, human! that stuff actually took me energy to make, so don’t waste it.” He warned.

I quickly screwed my mouth shut, swallowing heavily to keep whatever content there was in my stomach down. I still felt like throwing up though, my fear crawling underneath my skin and making me want to shudder, to shake those claws away and run as far as I could.

But I couldn’t. My legs wouldn’t work. I was completely at the mercy of this monster and I had no idea what he wanted with me. I was completely helpless. My energy from getting so worked up suddenly depleted and was replaced by exhaustion. It wouldn’t matter anyways, whatever was going to happen to me was entirely controlled by this creature. I had no say in this. I never had, ever in my life. Tears started to gather in my eyes and I choked on a soundless sob. It didn’t really matter, no one could ever hear me cry.

… until someone did.

The rubbing stopped and I felt dread wash over me once again. It felt strange to have energy for all these emotions again. I took a deep breath to try and control my sobs, hoping that he wouldn’t suddenly lash out at me. Up until now his emotions had been pretty stable, but with how angry he had sounded, I feared his rage. It didn’t come though; instead he was deadly silent, listening as I tried and failed to control my breathing.

After a few chilling seconds a warm breath of air washed over me. One of the claws moved away from my back to brush along my head, his touch feather light.

“i’m sorry, kiddo, didn't intend to make it sound that harsh.”

I blinked and did a doubletake, though the large hands prevented me from turning much. His voice was so...soft? It was still a deep rumble that made me feel tiny and insignificant, but just now he sounded so… calm, and steady, talking neither past or down on me.

“the stuff I gave ya isn’t dangerous, not to anyone. ‘s just somethin’ nutrient rich that won’t upset yer stomach too much, and it’ll help yer belly get used to digesting solid food ‘gain without making ya sick. speakin’ of which...”

One of the hands was removed from me entirely, moving behind me. There was a rustle of fabric and the dirty blanket that he used as a handkerchief was lifted into view and plopped down in front of me. He let the corners fall open and my mouth started watering.

Inside the handkerchief was the whole collection of foods. There were some apples, entire berry bushes, a fish, a bunny, mushrooms… bugs… some grass?... worms? Okay, maybe I wasn't _that_  hungry anymore.

“ain’t really sure what humans eat, so I just gathered a few things I’ve seen animals hunt and eat. But that also brings me to a question.”

The large hands around me loosened, but stayed close to keep me steady. I heard gravel and sand shift as his enormous body moved around. I flinched slightly as his red, slit eyes came into view, but he looked calm, casual even. He lay to my side so I only needed to turn my head slightly to comfortably look at him.

He met my eyes, smile pulling into a grimace. “sooooo, how many times each month do humans tend ta eat?”

My jaw literally dropped. He didn’t know? He had been starving me without even knowing it? Well, he’d always taken me to the rivers each day and let me drink as much as I like. But he hadn’t really offered me food until now. Had it been just because he didn’t know? The thought that he might not have intended to torture me made me feel a tad bit better.

I quickly gathered my thoughts and tried to count on my fingers. My parents never taught me math, except to count how many flowers I had to bring back. Okay, so two meals each day, and one moon was 27 days, I think… I didn’t have that many fingers. I dared to sneak a glimpse of the monster’s face, hoping that he wouldn’t be mad I took so long. Instead he actually looked… horrified? His eyes were wide, eyebrows raised high on his forehead and he even looked a little queasy.

“ah, ‘kay? shorter amount of time. how many times each week?”

Oh, that was a little bit easier. I slowly started counting on my fingers again. As soon as I passed 6 though, he interrupted me again.

“how many times each day?” His voice was slightly higher pitched now, shoulders hunched up as if he were trying to hide his face in his enormous jacket.

Relieved that he had made the question easier once more, I held up two finger.

“...2 times a day…” His voice was shy of a whisper now, eyes seeming to stare through me.

The scarlet orbs suddenly flashed back to the handkerchief and with a delicate pincer movement he snatched up the dead rabbit, laying it into my lap. “eat something kiddo, ya really need it. must be starvin’.”

I looked down at the dead animal, feeling my stomach give an uneasy turn at the thought of eating raw meat. Would he be mad if I– ?

“it’s okay, if ye’re a herbivore you don’t need to eat it. I thought since ya have those tiny fangs ya humans might be scavengers or somethin’. Just eat whatever ya like, i’ll try ta remember.”

I lay the rabbit down and reached out for one of the apples, a sharp claw pushing it within my reach. I took the fruit within my hands, throwing a hesitant glance up at the monster to see if it was really okay to eat, and then took a large bite. The apple was sour, but at least it wasn’t rotten or otherwise bad, so I hungrily took another bite. Seeing that I was eating, the giant creatures gave a lazy grin and moved back to lie behind me, hands starting to massage at either sides of my spine again.

“by the way kiddo, why don’t ya sign? i’m fluent in the public signing, but I think i’m pretty okay at the local dialect.”

Signing? Public? Local dialects? Was this something I was supposed to know?

“ya know, signing?” as he said so I was carefully wrapped up and kept in place by the tip of his tail. His hand slowly let go and started to… do something in front of me where I could see it. What was he even doing? Whatever it was, I didn’t understand, so I shook my head.

“no? what tha-? never mind. how about writing? can you write your name for me?”

Once again I shook my head. My parents could do it, but I didn’t know how. All these things I couldn’t do. Was I supposed to be able to, even if I couldn’t speak? Was I really that broken? I flinched as the creature suddenly let out a sound between a snarl and a hiss.

“what kind of  ** _fuckin’_**  idiot doesn’t teach a mute kid ta-! okay, just relax kiddo. i’ll try ta teach ya a few signs while ye’re with me. how about whispering? just push some air out of yer lungs and form the words with yer mouth.”

The side of his skull suddenly moved really close to my face, nearly touching me. I was a little surprised by his sudden closeness, until I noticed a little hole just behind his jaw, roughly in the same place where….his ears could have been. If I was never supposed to be heard, why was he trying so hard to understand me somehow? It felt… kinda nice though.

I slowly leaned a little bit closer and followed his instructions. ‘Can you hear me?’ The words left my mouth like a breath, but somehow the words were still there, like a whistle of the wind on leaves.

“hm, ‘kay. i’m certainly hearing something, but not enough to hold long conversations. with signing we will eventually get there, but how about we keep it at your name for now?”

I felt a little excited that he somewhat heard me, even if it was dampered by the disappointment that he couldn't hear me well enough. Nonetheless, I leaned forward and told him my name. I had to repeat it quite a few times and the monster tried to do a few wrong guesses, I understood why long talks would be hard like this.

“frisk?” The monster guessed after many tries. I smiled and nodded my head. He chuckled at that, and for once it didn't sound mocking.

“frisk huh? nice ta meet ya. the name is sans, sans the skeleton. now how’s about ya go back to eating, i won't keep you from it this time.”

I decided to just eat the apples and berries, the rest was either inedible, risky to eat, or a risk I didn’t want to take if it wasn’t cleaned and cooked. But I had more than enough with just those, my belly feeling full and a bit pained from being stretched. So I just leaned into Sans’s warm hands, letting him do…whatever it was he was doing to my back. Now that I wasn’t so scared anymore it felt kind of nice, the thought that I could maybe trust him filling me with renewed Determination.

“‘kay kid, you’re gonna have to bite your teeth for a second.”

Before I really processed what he just said a sharp pain suddenly shot up through my spine, accompanied by a loud crack and a pop. My mouth opened wide, air rushing out in what should be a shrill scream, but only came out in a whistling wheeze. Before the pain could continue besides its initial sting though, a deep warmth seeped into my back and soothed the muscles. There still was some painful throbbing, but it wasn’t as bad as it should have been.

“sorry kid, had ta do that. now, everything is gonna be okay. all i want ya to do now is relax.”

The hands around me let go, but one of the large claws came back to lay the sharp tip against my chest, pushing gently. I didn’t really have the strength or mobility in my lower back and legs, so I didn’t give any resistance as I was pushed backward to lie down. I sighed in relief as my back met a warm, soft surface… and froze again when I looked up and my eyes fell on sharp fangs and the roof of a red maw.

In a panicked moment the remembered sound of tearing flesh and cracking bone echoed in my ears, but before I could move to try and escape I was entirely pulled inside. Jaws closed behind me with a sharp, scissor-like snap and I was bathed in a dim red light. The tongue underneath me started moving, wrapping around me and licking all over. Tears sprung up in my eyes and dread filled my entire being as I reached out my arms and tried to push the strange appendage away.

“hmmm, tasty,” the heavy voice hummed around me. At that point I went into a full-blown panic and I tried to thrash about, arms flailing in a desperate attempt to find an escape. 

The tongue suddenly pushed up, effectively trapping me in a little air pocket at the roof of his mouth.

“wow, easy kiddo, easy! Ye’re gonna hurt yerself, shhhh. i just said ya were tasty, not that i’m gonna chew ya into bloody bits. ya’ll be fine frisk, shhhhhh.”

I felt a little bit better that Sans still answered me, though the mental image of being ‘chewed into bloody bits’ made me whimper silently. Still, if he wasn't going to eat me, why was he doing this? Just for a taste? If I was so tasty why would he even bother trying to help me? Had he even been helping me, or just fattening me up a bit before he ate me? But he had been so nice. Was that a trick? Then why would he bother to ask for my name?

Fear and hope were throwing questions through my head like a tug of war to make me either keep struggling or trust the huge skeletal snake. I just felt so confused, and at the feeling of another sob coming up, I sniffled loudly.

There was a deep sigh around me. “sorry kiddo, got a little carried away. maybe i shouldn't be bullying ya like this. jus’... don’t be scared.”

The large tongue loosed its grip on me and I slowly started to slide—the wrong way. My blood suddenly turned cold in my veins as I slipped into the waiting, pulsating throat. Another scream, this one from pure terror instead of pain, tried to escape my throat. But just like all else I ever tried to say, it went unheard.

The throat closed in on me, squishing me into flexible flesh and pushing me down the red tunnel. I distantly noticed that I didn’t seem to be going straight down anymore, but chalked it up to the rest of my confusion and disorientation though.

I felt icy cold despite my warm surroundings. The trip down his throat was relatively short, and within a few seconds I was squeezed into a larger space, sliding in with ease. I didn't even try to fight anymore. I was trapped, no way out, and even trying to make my captor sick didn't seem like an option. This monster ate large predators. What chance would a tiny little child even have compared to that?

The giant creature around me shifted, causing me to slide around and settle at the pit of his stomach. A deep, satisfied sigh echoed all around me, the sound like a death bell—like the ones that sounded through our village when an elderly lady, or someone that couldn't afford Father’s medication had passed away.

Tears started to stream down my face. I wrapped both my arms around my body, as if that could keep me together. It didn't though, and I started to shake.

This is it, this is the end. The end of my useless life, of any hope I had I might get out okay. I shouldn't have tried to trust this thing. I should have walked more carefully. I should have been a better child. I should have tried harder to be normal, be a contribution to mankind. If I had been a normal child and just talked, none of this would have happened. Mother and Father wouldn't have been ashamed of me. I would have been able to call out for help. I would have been able to refuse when the monster took me. I wouldn't be….

A harsh sob shook my entire body.

“kiddo?”

I flinched at his voice, a much more violent shudder wracking through my frame.

“hey! don't be scared, hush. ye’ll be fine.”

A sudden wave of rage made me want to thrash around, scream up at the giant that ‘No, I will not be okay! You ate me and now I’m going to die! I’m not stupid!’ But all I could manage was a weak punch, the bit of energy I regained suddenly gone.

“okay, this may look bad, but i’m not gonna hurt ya kiddo. i-”

The monster seemed to choke on his next words. He grunted and took a deep breath.

“i promise kiddo.”

I didn’t react, tears still leaking from my eyes. There was a very long pause before he spoke again.

“i’m sorry, maybe i should ‘ave explained first. hoooookay…. well first of all, ye’re not in any danger right now. i don’t wanna hurt ya, i’ve done enough of that already. but then ya may be wonderin’ ‘then what the hell am i doing in this guy’s gut, didn’t he just eat me?’”

Despite myself, I had to fight down a snort when he said that, his voice suddenly going way higher pitched than I had imagined it could go.

“and well, yes and no. ya are inside my stomach, but i’m not gonna kill ya. because ya see, i’m maaaaaagical.”

This time I did actually snort. What the hell, why was he talking like that? Somehow I could tell he was relaxing at my amusement.

“no, seriously. not sure if ya noticed, but i’m literally a skelly with a red jelly noodle instead of legs. but other than that i can use my magic to decide when something is not food, which would include you. and believe it or not, but i can also use that magic to heal. although, ta be honest, i’m not that good at it. something as complicated as a broken back to your degree would take months to heal. but while you are in there i can concentrate my magic into a confined space and keep it there, like warmth in an incubator. and that’s why you’re in my belly.”

I silently thought over what he told me, taking in his words and tone of voice. Before today he had always sounded gruff, talking down to me as if I was an animal that couldn’t really understand. Now, though, his voice was kind and genuine, even if it still held that deep gravelly quality that made me want to cower away. But he sounded like he was being honest, as if the realization he had been hurting me had really made him feel sorry.

‘Yeah, only now he does. Why now suddenly?’ I felt hope trying to tug me out of my pit of despair, but a cynical voice tried to keep me there, just in case it was all still a trick.

“heh, guess ya don’t really trust me, huh? can’t blame ya after everythin’.” another long pause and a deep sigh. “i’ll make ya a deal. for this one time ya’ll stay in there. back when ya were still outside, i first got yer muscles and nerves back in place, and after i popped yer spine in shape i put a magic brace along the vertebra. i just want to set that break back together so you don’t need the brace. after that i can heal the rest out here, without having to worry about any accidental damage from moving ya. it might take longer, but i’ll do my best ta take good care of ya, sweetheart. but for now, just relax and sleep, it’ll make ya feel better.”

I relaxed just a little bit. At least it seemed like he meant well. Maybe… maybe it would be fine. Just for now, I just had to brave through this one time and I wouldn’t have to be in here again. If I could trust him, everything would turn out okay. Maybe I was gonna be able to walk again. If he kept his promise, I might even get a way to communicate. If he was lying and was going to kill me anyway though….well, at least I wouldn’t wake up to find out.

With a sigh I lay my head down on the soft floor, curling up as much as my paralyzed legs would allow me. I might have imagined it, but it seemed as if the stomach around me moved, making a slight depression to lie in and slightly pushing my legs up to my belly. It was at that point that I really felt the warm stiffness on my spine, probably the brace he talked about. I smiled slightly and nuzzled closer. At least he didn’t lie about that, and if it was still a trick he was trying way too hard.

My eyes closed and I surrendered myself to the hope that everything would turn out okay.

 

 

* * *

 

 

I used a long claw to slowly trace small circles along the top of my belly. I could feel the kid sleeping inside, tiny chest moving slowly with every breath. Such a lucky snack. Of all the things I had eaten this week, they’d be the first one to get out alive.

I didn’t mean to hurt them, really. I admit I can be a glutton sometimes. Animals: sure. Molesters and murderers: with pleasure. Thieves and smugglers: maybe, depends on the goods. But an innocent, scared little child? Never! I might be a knuckleheaded asshole, but I ain’t a monster. Well, I am, but you get the idea.

When I saw the kid for the first time, I saw bait for easy food, nothing else. I’d just keep them around for a while to catch me some easy meals, nothing big, no torturing, maybe a little bit of terror though. Some healthy fear would teach a small kid like that not to come into such dangerous territory. And on top of that they couldn’t talk, so they wouldn’t be able to tattle. But then again, just the legends were usually enough to keep people out.

I first thought that the paralyzed legs were a birth defect, just like their missing voice. Maybe I should have wondered how a paralyzed child had gotten so far into the woods, or noticed how strange that bend in their spine looked. But what was done was done, I’m an idiot. And after seeing just how hungry, and sickly and goddamn  _helpless_  they really were, I couldn’t bring myself to keep being a bully. Even I knew my limits, and this was just breaking my heart… well, metaphorically.

I wanted to shift into an easy position to get comfortable and take a nap myself, but then I remembered the kid. The tired, scared,  _sleeping_ little kid. I didn’t want to shift and throw them out of their comfortable spot, waking them up.

Ah fuck! Oh well, such is life.

I sunk lower instead, making myself as comfortable as I could. Welp, I’m gonna be here for a while. At least the kid felt nice. Not really a ‘full belly’ kind of nice though, this feeling was new. Their tiny warm form laying in there, all vulnerable and dependant on me. It made a wave of warmth wash over my soul. I lay the hand that had been idly tracing shapes down, its twin joining to intertwine the fingers protectively over my belly.

I really hoped I could convince them to trust me, so that they would see that being inside there would be the most comfortable option.


	2. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How to get used to big snakes that wanna eat you, and how to tell kids that you're 'just kidding' without sounding like a douchebag of monumental proportions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 7 people asked me to make more, and I got inspired. So yeah, it's gonna be 4 chapters now.

I tried to scoot away from the huge claws. Every day he asked, every day I told him no. But every day he asked at least once. It wrecked my nerves. What if he lost his patience and just did it? Maybe he wouldn’t hurt me, but I just didn’t  _want_  to. **  
**

After a little less than a week, feeling returned to my legs with painful pins and needles. I had cried in both pain and relief, though Sans’ warm tail soothed most of it. Yesterday my toes twitched, but my legs were just too heavy to move. It was frustrating how long it was taking, but at least I was making progress.

There was some sniffing behind me.

“huh, ye were right kiddo. a bath really does wonders. yer natural scent is coming out again, much better than all that grime.”

There was some more sniffing and I could feel the air moving around me. At first it was just annoying. But then I felt a huge tongue press against my entire back and the irritation was replaced by fear. He hadn’t licked me before! Not since…

**No**

I twisted myself to the side and dropped to the ground so I was away from the red muscle. I lifted my hand again, tapping my index and middle finger against my thumb, signing once again:  **No**

A chuckle sounded above me. “aw, don’t worry, ‘m just teasing ya kid. that’s what ya get fer smellin’ so nice.”

One of his hands moved over and a thumb rubbed at my head, tips of the other claws trying to ease underneath me so he could pick me up.

My fingers furiously started to tap together again, repeating the same sign as I squeezed my eyes shut.

**No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no don’t**

It seemed to get the message across, fingers hesitating and then pulling away. Oh no, he was frowning. Was he mad? Would he actually yell this time?

He didn’t though, and after about a minute I was starting to doubt he was even mad. He just sat there, staring at me for a long time. His hand reached out to me again, before he seemed to think better of it and put it to his mouth as he looked down in thought. One more last look, and his huge body slithered away to give me some space.

My nerves were crackling for the rest of the day, up until he brought dinner. And the fact that he was staring at me again wasn’t helping. After throwing away a last pear’s core, he finally spoke.

“ya wanna lie down and relax for a bit, maybe converse?”

I was thrown off guard by his question, but I did nod. I liked the moments where I could relax with Sans. Just laying there and enjoying the warmth of his body and his hands petting my back. That and the moments when he taught me sign language, more specifically signed puns.

It was when he got moody or ‘playful’ that I got a bit scared.

He grinned at me, that weird sharp grin that managed to look both kind and deceivingly malicious somehow. Maybe it was just those fangs that gave the impression of an ill intent that might not actually be there.

I flinched when one of the giant claws moved towards me, fingers nimbly wrapping around my body. I started to shudder as soon as I left the floor and was lifted up, closer to his face.

“shhhhhhh, ‘s okay. yer not gonna get any closer to my mouth. just relax.”

I was still shuddering as his enormous form moved, unable to shake this feeling that he could do whatever he wanted at any point. But he just propped himself up against the den’s wall so he could comfortably look at me. As soon as he sat comfortably he gently deposited me on top of his giant belly. Even though his powerful tail might easily crush me if he wanted to, I always found it pleasant to lie on top of it. The magic gel was smooth and soft, and when you added pressure you could sink away into it, forming a tiny nest with more surface area to transfer the comforting warmth.

I didn’t feel entirely comforted though, lifting my head to throw a confused (and slightly frightened) look at the snake. He just smiled at me. A long claw brushed against my head a few times before it gently but firmly pushed me down against his body.

“nothing bad is gonna happen minibones. jus’ lay down, relax, and listen.”

Listen? Why listen? What did he want me to hear? Nonetheless, I did as he asked. It was a small request really, and if he wanted something from me I couldn’t exactly fight him over it.

It was strange to listen to the sounds his body made, nothing of it sounded natural. There was no heartbeat and even the rush of air in his chest sounded fake. His belly also didn’t make stomach noises…which was actually a bit of a relief to me. Right underneath my ear there was a steady rushing, like hearing the blood in your ears.

“so, what do ya hear?” I lifted my head to see the naga looking at me again. I lifted a hand, thinking what I could answer.

**Air**

“breathing,” He corrected me, signing out the word as he said it. “good, anything else?”

I thought a bit longer.  **Rush**

“i think that might actually be my magic moving through my body, not sure though. And what else?”

What did he want me to hear? Was there something specific he was looking for? I lay my head down and made sure to concentrate extra hard.

I could hear this deep hum underneath all the other noises, growing stronger and then fading every few seconds. Even though it sounded weird, the rhythm was also kinda soothing. Like an extra slow, buzzing heartbeat. My head shot up to look at him as I signed.

**Strange pulse**

He grinned at that, seeming to be pleased with my observation. “that, kiddo, is mah SOUL.”

A soul? With a curious frown I put my head down to listen some more, pushing my head down into the soft gel in the hopes that I could hear better.

“a monster’s SOUL is a bit like a human’s heart and lungs. if they get a bit damaged it diminishes the quality of your life, but more severe damage leads to a swift death. while humans are made of physical matter, monsters are made of dust and magic. a human’s body and SOUL persist for quite a while after death, but a monster’s SOUL and body disappear the moment the life leaves our body.”

Oh, that made sense, I think.

There was a long pause before he spoke again. “kiddo, let me tell ya a little thing about violence.”

I instantly grew tense, trying to subtly look at the beast from the position where I was lying.

“when someone kills, they gain EXP, which is an acronym for ‘execution points’. when your EXP increases, your LV or LOVE increases. and that ain’t love as ya know it. it, too, is an acronym. it stands for ‘level of violence’. the higher yer LV, the easier it is to distance yerself, the easier it gets to harm and kill. but the amount of EXP you gain can also be influenced by yer intent.”

He shifted slightly, thinking about his next words as his red tongue slid slowly over a golden fang.

“if you kill an animal out of necessity, when you need its flesh for food or it’s fur to keep warm, the increase in EXP is barely noticeable. a hunter caring for his family will struggle to even reach LV4. if you kill to kill or just for the profit, you’ll gain much more, but never as much as when you kill something highly sentient like a human or monster.”

“when you kill a person, you can gain quite a bit more of EXP. if you kill one to protect yourself or a loved one, if there was no other option than to do so, it’s a little more forgivable. you still gain significant EXP as you distance yourself from your ‘enemy’, but it was absolutely necessary and you wouldn’t ever do it again in your life if you have that luck. kill purely out of revenge though, and it will be a lot more.”

“and then there is stuff like senseless murder, torture, manipulation, betrayal…those scar the SOUL the most. if you do it enough it’ll warp yer SOUL beyond anything recognizable.”

Long claws slowly curled over my back and landed softly against my skin. I startled a bit, looking up at his face. He was looking back at me, his enormous red eyes soft and tired.

“you do realize i’m not gonna hurt ya, right?”

I just nodded. I was pretty sure by now Sans didn’t want me dead. He had been making sure I got food, my legs were  _actually_  slowly getting better. Maybe he wanted help hunting again like before as repayment, but I don’t think I would mind that much. It was the least I could do.

He just kept staring at me for a while. His eyes looked almost… sad. Pained?

“you do realize that with ‘hurt’ i don’t just mean ‘kill’? i also mean in the sense of the body and mind.”

I frowned. What did he mean with that?

He seemed to notice, clarifying, “i’m not going to hit ya, or cut ya. i’m not going to strangle ya when I get impatient or ye don’t do what i want. i’m not gonna crush or break yer bones because you get scared of something I do. and i don’t want to manipulate or guilt trip ya into doing things either. i don’t want ta scare ya kiddo.”

I felt a bit angry at those last works. My hands were shaking in frustration, and then in fear as I gathered my courage. It wasn’t easy ‘speaking’ up… but, he just said….

Taking another deep breath and fuelled by sass alone I lifted my hands. I had to restart 3 times, scared of what his reaction would be, but I managed.

**You scared me today**

As soon as I was done his eyes were everywhere but on my face, mouth pulling into a nervous grimace.

“errrrrrm…yeah, right, that uhmmmmmmm. erhum, how to explain this?”

His hand was removed from my back to instead tap his long claw against his lower jaw in thought. He sat like that for a bit, thinking about it.

“when my brother was younger, he was a tiny, frightful noodle.”

I relaxed at the mention of his younger brother in the past tense. He always seemed calmer and got this fond look when he talked about him and his younger brother and their childhood.

“he scared really easily. whenever someone threatened him, he would freeze up and become unresponsive. i always had ta save him when that happened. i tried to tell him many times he had to try toughen up or else he would become a target, but he was always so upset i could barely even say anything to get him to calm down.”

“we also know this water serpent, her name is undyne, she met mah bro when he wandered off into the wetlands. i don’t know what caused her to spare my bro in the first place, but they became close friends pretty quickly.”

“this one time i came to pick up my bro a bit early from his playdate with undyne. i got the scare of my life when i saw his tail dangling from between her jaws. lucky for her she immediately threw him back up fast enough because i would have torn her open myself in that moment. to my surprise though, paps not only recovered  _very_  quickly, but he also came to undyne’s defense.”

“they introduced it to me as ‘fear training’. the gist of it is that you get someone used to fear by getting them scared without any of the actual danger. what undyne would do is hunt papyrus down and try to eat him, and meanwhile paps just had to survive, run and fight like his life really depended on it. it helped him to get stronger and think of better strategies when in a pinch. but because his body experienced the stress of being hunted without his mistakes having any fatal consequences, he also got used to that stress to the point where he could shake it off. after a little more than a month he started to look only slightly put off before he could bounce back.”

His eyes moved slowly to meet mine. “i…i guess i was trying to-…i hoped that if i gently kept teasing you that you would figure out i wouldn’t  _actually_  do anything. and that you would- that the stress wouldn’t be so bad anymore, just like with papyrus.”

“never meant to actually terrify you. i’m not gonna lie, it’s kinda amusing to see you jump, and those tiny little gasps when you startle are downright adorable. but i don’t like….I didn’t mean to make you feel unsafe with me. we made a deal I’d only eat you that one time. but if ya’d ever wanna dare it again, that’s entirely up to you kiddo.”

Giant claws moved over my back again, the smooth, curved side slowly brushing along my spine.

“i’m sorry i don’t…pick up on these things. we weren’t exactly raised on subtlety when it comes to emotions. usually it’s just ‘make sure your allies at least meet your level and if they’re not allies beat them until they break’. i don’t know how…—what you did before, signing me to stop, that was great. but you always keep your hands so silent unless i’ve asked you something. i know you don’t feel safe talking freely, that’s probably because of yer  _‘upbringing’_.” There was venom in his voice at that last word.

When his eyes looked back at me they softened again though. Two giant hands came back up to cup around me, lifting me off his belly and bringing me closer to his face.

“but i would really like it if you told me when ah’m really scaring ya. i’ll do my best to be gentle and considerate, but I need you to tell me when i’m doing something wrong. i won’t get mad at you for it, p-…promise.”

This was only the second time he used that word. Every time he has hesitated to say it, as if he hated to say it out loud. Maybe he just hated making promises, which felt a bit strange since so many people threw the word around carelessly.

Sans sat me down again.

“ya know what? quick sign lesson, repeat after me.”

Sans held his left hand in front of him, palm up. He brought his index finger and thumb together to form a circle, keeping the rest of his fingers straight, and shook his hand firmly. Fumbling a bit, I repeated the sign, just like he asked.

“ya think you can remember that?” I smiled a little and nodded. The sign was fairly easy after all.

“okay, good. now that, kiddo, is how you call someone an asshole.”

…..  _oh_

I could feel my face heating up as I slapped my hands over my mouth in mortification. Sans snorted and after an angry pout from me he promptly burst out in aggressive laughter, forcing me to drop down against his belly to prevent myself from being shaken off. After a little while he seemed to be regaining control over himself.

“hehehehe, okay, eheh, right, beheh huh, b-back to the point.” He started, giggles dying down.

“so kiddo, if ya don’t feel safe, if ah’m going too far, or if ya just don’t feel up to any games, ya just call me an asshole. it’ll be like a codeword, and i’ll stop whatever I’m doing immediately. does that sound like an alright deal to ya?”

I wrung my hands nervously. It seemed a bit strange and dangerous, insulting a creature that—quite literally—had my life in his hands. But on the other hand (heh) he hadn’t really given me any reason to think he was untrustworthy.

I looked up at those giant, relaxed, red eyes and signed a single letter back to him.

**K**

* * *

 

It was one of those nights. Cold and damp and dark. There was the harsh howling of the wind and the rushing of a rainstorm outside the cave. Sound was the only real proof it was there though, as everything was pitch black. Not even a lightning bolt to light up the place.

And yet I was warm, wrapped up in a giant coil. The glow was only dim though and cast an early red light around me. And every time its owner would breath out, a deep, rattling sound would leave his fanged mouth and roll around on the cavern ceiling.

It was a strange mix of both dreary and soothing.

It had only been four days after Sans had changed tactics. For one he warned me before he started his games. It was nothing more than narrowed eyes, a sharp grin, and rapid clicking at the back of his throat, but it was easy to pick up and a warning to either react or brace myself.

I had called Sans an asshole seven times up ‘till now. The first time I was too scared to react at first, but as he noticed how stiff I was he had asked me if I was okay. I signed to him as soon as I could think straight again, and he let me be.

The next three times I used it were right as he gave his warning, and he passively flopped down on the floor with a simple ‘k’.

At the fifth time, I allowed him to start his game. I was still scared, but the knowledge that I could make him stop made me feel a little more confident. A little bit more curious than scared. He had hesitated for a moment, maybe trying to figure out if I was maybe petrified. But as he saw I was actually awaiting his next move, he had moved in. I still had to call quits after a few seconds, and still he didn’t get mad. Maybe a tad bit frustrated, but he did mumble reassuring nonsense at me to help me relax.

And the next two times went down in a similar fashion, but every time I would last just a little bit longer.

I shuddered a little.

Sans was warm, but that didn’t mean the rest of his cavern was. If the wind outside turned just right a blast of cold air would manage to sneak in, settling around my tiny form. I snuggled a bit closer to the snake, struggling to wiggle my still stiff feet between the warm coils. Every day I felt a little bit stronger, but I still couldn’t move my legs much. And compared to how quick my broken back had been fixed it was getting a bit frustrating.

I took me a moment to realize I was in the focus of two red spotlights. I turned to meet Sans’ half-lidded eyes and lazy grin.

“yanno, s’a lot warmer  _in_  there.” He drawled.

I flinched in a knee-jerk reaction, but as he hummed lazily and closed his eyes, moving his coil so I was a little more sheltered, I actually started to think about it.

It  _was_  warmer in there, and very soft. And what was really wrong with it? Despite my fear and uncertainty that first time, nothing bad really happened. If anything it was quite the opposite.

Pushing down what I slowly realized was unnecessary fear I gathered courage. He’d been asking me to do this again, of course he would assent. Just calm down. Just-

I lifted a hand and patted the red tail underneath me. Sans eyes opened again, blinking a few times to focus. His jaw opened wide in a huge yawn. “wha’s wrong kiddo, still too co-” He blinked owlishly at me before his eyes suddenly turned worried. “kiddo, you okay? ye’re shaking.”

I lifted my hands to tell him that I didn’t feel that bad, only to notice that I was. Why was I shaking this bad? It wasn’t like I was gonna give in to death or something. I had done that before, before Sans actually started telling things were gonna be okay. Why was I so scared over something that wasn’t even that bad?

I could even scramble back at any point. …Could I really? Sans had been wanting to do this for a while. What if he was gonna go through with it anyways as long as I said okay one time. ….No, he had said and proven that I could back out at any point.

But I didn’t want to back out. Strange as it felt, I wanted to trust Sans. I wanted a stability, to feel safe no matter what. To know someone would want to take care of me unconditionally. Like Sans said my parents were supposed to. Like… Well, like Sans has been since he started healing me.

As I looked down at my hands again, they were shaking less, but my vision was slightly blurry with tears. Looking back into Sans’ worried eyes, I signed to him.

**K**

Worry turned to confusion.

“…‘okay’ what?”

I felt embarrassed, and the fear of finality was still there. I didn’t trust myself to sign a full sentence without chickening out. So I just pointed at him, myself, then brought all my fingers together and taped my mouth twice.

It took only a second for Sans to figure out what the limited communication meant, and his eyes widened. He looked shocked, but there was also this shine of excitement in his eyes. And yet the first words out of his mouth were: “are you sure?”

I hesitated a long moment before swallowing my nervousness and nodding.

“kid, i am  _not_  gonna eat you while you’re this scared.”

My hands were fumbling. I didn’t know what to do or if this really was the best way to go about it. But I was sure of what I wanted.

**I don’t want to be scared**

Silence stretched for a few seconds.

All there was was my own breathing and the patter of the rain outside.

It took me a moment to steel myself before looking up at his face.He was frowning, but a thoughtful frown. No doubt he had been studying my body language and now he was searching my eyes. For what? Fear? Weakness? Resolve? Determination?

His eyes softened and he stretched out his hands.

“c'mere, kiddo.”

Hard, chipped bone claws tenderly wrapped around me, and I allowed it. I was lifted off the soft red flesh and upward, towards those sharp fangs that I had been avoiding for days. I closed my eyes and tried to focus to keep my breathing even and calm. But instead of a slimy tongue, I felt smooth bone carefully pressing against my upper body. I curiously opened one eye to see the flats of his fangs gently pressed against me. He didn’t need to open his mouth to speak, so I felt the deep timbre of the words behind those teeth vibrate through me as he spoke.

“i’ll go as fast or slow as ya want kiddo, take all the time you need. but it’s completely up to you if you want to push forward, or back.”

I was very carefully tipped into one of his hands, the other now free hand coming back to pinch the back of my sweater.

And with that, his maw opened.

The split tip of his enormous tongue slithered out of the cavern of his maw and lay itself against the palm of his hand. At the same time, the hand that had hold of my sweater pulled me up, carefully positioning me onto it. I took a deep breath to steel myself, waiting for the red muscle to draw back and pull me in along with it like last time.

It didn’t though. Sans held perfectly still.

I was confused for a good few minutes, staring into the red-lit maw. Was he waiting for me to calm down? But I felt pretty okay right now. Maybe he was waiting for me to tell him if I wanted to go on, or back out? How was I even gonna sign to him from here? Though, this wasn’t one of his games. He was completely focused on me and I was pretty sure if I showed any panic he would spit me out.

And then his words sunk in.  _Push_  forward, or back.

The way I was positioned on his tongue, perfectly balanced, one decisive shove in either direction would make me slide either forward into his maw, or back into his hand.

I seemed a little cruel, making me have to get into his maw by my own doing. But, then again, I didn’t  _have_  to. I could decide to go either back or forward. The power to make that choice, and to actually execute said choice, it felt kinda… nice to have that control.

So I just stayed there for a bit, tearing my gaze away from the back of his throat and towards those sharp fangs. They were kinda scary, but since I had some time I just… wanted to look.

I remembered the first time I ended up in his mouth, when I had been staring up at his fangs from where I lay on my back, just like right now. They really did like like they could snap me into two pieces, like a guillotine. Or at least turn me into a shish-kebab.

I shuddered lightly, but even though there was a nervous twinge in the pit of my stomach I didn’t exactly feel afraid yet. It was just this strange feeling of your instincts telling you that you were in mortal danger, but beeing contradicted by your thoughts telling you that everything would turn out okay. The feeling only seemed to grow a little bit stronger as Sans reacted to my shudder, opening his jaws a bit more so those fangs were just a bit further away.

So I forced myself to relax just a bit more, laying myself flat against his tongue as I looked around. Sans was drooling quite a bit. Now and then the back of his tongue and his throat would move to swallow the excess saliva. Maybe it was because he had his mouth open for so long. Maybe…

I remembered his words though. I knew I was tasty, to him at least. He was eager to have me in there. And yet, he was waiting. Waiting for a moment that might actually not come. I actually felt a little admiration and relief for how patient he was being with me. So I took one last breath, lifted myself from his tongue slightly and pushed. With how slimy his tongue was, I slid in easily.

As I came to a halt in the middle of his maw, Sans’s tongue twitched slightly. Surprised maybe? Nonetheless, he kept his maw open for a few more seconds before closing it very slowly, probably giving me time to freak out and try to escape. I didn’t though, so I lay still as his jaws shut with a soft little click, cutting me off from the cold and dark outside, bathing me in a soft red light.

There was another moment of hesitation as he made sure that I was really comfortable instead of frozen in fear, but then his tongue curled up around me and eagerly started to lick.

Okay, this was maybe a little more overwhelming than I expected. It was scary to go from choosing what happened to me, to beeing prodded and pushed and rolled around. But still, it wasn’t like Sans was hurting me. He was quite a bit stronger than I was, and he did seem decided to lick every inch of me…and those sharp, rock-like molars….oh please no!

I thought I had this. But in that moment my mind went blank. No no no nonononono, please. I desperately started to shove against the giant muscle, tears starting to blur my vision as desperate silent whimpers clawed at of my throat.

“frisk?!”

It took me moment to realize Sans was talking to me, the stern rumble of his voice pulling me out of my panic. I had been moved back to the safety of the middle of his maw, mouth slightly open. It was a bit cold. I noticed that I’d curled up, my grip on my own arms painful.

“kiddo, c’n ya hear me? did i hurt ya?”

No, he hadn’t. He hadn’t done anything to hurt me, not even threatened me really. This was stupid! I was being stupid! Of course Sans wouldn’t hurt me, he told me so himself, he had proven that wasn’t what he wanted! Why was I being so stupid and scared?

I patted his tongue as an answer. Sans let out a soft sigh.

“would you like to come out again?”

I bit my lip. I had been scared just now, but after Sans snapped me out of it I felt fine again. I was ready to go on. But if I was caught by surprise again, if I freaked out again… I shook my head sternly. I would cross that bridge if I got there. Plus it was just stupid, I didn’t need to be scared. And if I panicked Sans could snap me out of it again.

Letting out a determined huff I wiggled myself so I was into position, facing his throat. There was another pause and the sides of his tongue curled upward, gently pressing against my sides.

“you can stop at any moment sweetheart. if ye’re scared i don’t want to push past your limits. ya don’t need to be scared, but I understand if you are. i wasn’t exactly tactful about it the first time.”

But I didn’t want to be scared! That first time had been scary but it wasn’t bad. Why couldn’t I get that through my head? I didn’t want to give up now.

“ya know kiddo, I once asked undyne why she wanted to train paps, why she didn’t see my scared little bro as a weakling. she told me that he had a strength you don’t see often, and she wasn’t just talking about his magic. she said it would be wasted if my brother died before he could even use it. denying fear is hard, but being brave is the hardest thing of all. she said that papyrus was incredibly brave and that if he could master his overwhelming fear, that he would be able to achieve the greatest feats.”

“the points where she tried to eat him were safe, but she did intend to scare him. but I don’t want ya to be scared of this. i want ya to feel safe, so that maybe we can do this again? if it’s possible I want you to feel nice and safe. but if yer too scared, ya don’t have to do this. ya don’t have to do this ta prove anything to me, or to yerself. you must do this because you want to, and if ya want to but are scared we can stop and try another time. we’re only doin’ this if ya want to kid.”

I just lay there for a while, digesting his words….heh. It made me feel just a little bit better, that it was okay to be scared, that I could scramble back and Sans wouldn’t think less of me.

I knew for sure that I wanted to stop being scared. But, did I really want to achieve that  _this_  way? Did I want to be eaten? Why would I want to be eaten? Well, like he had said it would be warm. And soft. But that was a bit superficial compared to these fears. Even if it was safe I couldn’t help that deep-rooted fear, that memory of terror… that feeling of helplessness.

But then there was also that healing aspect… my spine had been healed after just a good rest, imagine how much faster I would be able to walk if I just… But I had been getting better out here just fine too. Much slower, but it worked… just…..

As my mind couldn’t find anything else to think about I became aware of a sound. It was a soft ambient that had been there in the background, but now that my own mind and heartbeat weren’t drowning everything out I could hear it. A deep hum, growing stronger and softer every few seconds. Like deep breaths, or an extremely slow heartbeat.

His soul, he has said.

The sound echoed up from his chest through his throat, being audible in his maw. It must be much louder in his belly. Why hadn’t I heard it back then? Or did I and I just hadn’t taken notice? I had been pretty scared after all. And afterward I had been so tired of being scared and feeling alone for so long. I had felt such relief that my bad luck had given me a little break. That for a little while, I got just the tiniest little taste of…

….safety.

It would be safe down there. And not just that Sans wouldn’t hurt me. He wasn’t going to digest me, but there was a bit more to it than that.

He had been caring for me for a little more than a week now. He had fed me and kept me warm. He had scared me, but he had meant well. He just didn’t know how to deal with people that didn’t have such thick ‘skin’ as him. And yet he was trying. And he apologized when he realized he had messed up. It was more than I ever got from my own p-…

I pressed myself closer to the tongue, cuddling a little closer into the warmth for comfort. As far as monsters went Sans looked the most like one, but even though he wasn’t perfect he acted the least like one. If anything the people I had been most dependant on had acted more like those evil creatures from stories whispered late at night.

Making up my mind I used my arms to move as much as I could and lined myself up with his throat again. I gave his palate a soft pat to tell him I was feeling better.

“ya sure kiddo?”

I answered by laying myself against his tongue, letting him feel my muscles loosening up as I allowed myself to relax.

There was a slow tilt of the room around me, making me slide closer towards the throat. For a moment I had to fight to keep calm. It wasn’t as bad as before though, I would be okay. Right before I dropped into the waiting throat though, Sans leveled his head again, bringing me to a stop.

I pushed myself a little more upright and looked around, confused as to why Sans hadn’t swallowed me yet.

“ye’re taking over for a moment here kiddo. you decide when ye wanna go, and i’ll take care of the rest.”

Oh, so this was another ‘push forward or push back’ moment, hu? Okay then. I looked forward again, taking a curious peek down the snake’s gullet.

Despite myself, I shuddered. It was unnerving to stare down the monster’s throat. Everything was a deep, dark red and it looked slimy. And on top of that everything seemed to be rippling slowly, as if the tube had a mind of its own. At least it wasn’t dark though, my entire surroundings lit up by that soft scarlet light. Nothing was hidden from me.

I tried a few times to push forward, but the sight of the drop and movements within the throat were just a tad too unnerving. So I did the next thing that seemed logical to my mind. With a bit of wiggling I managed to turn myself over and sit up some more. I shuffled backwards a little, until I could feel that I was balancing on the edge again.

I had to take a few more steadying breaths, closing my eyes and focusing on that deep hum far below. And then, allowing my mind to go blank, I leaned back. I startled a little at the drop, but it wasn’t that far though. Within less than a second, my back met a soft, slimy surface and powerful muscles took over.

I whimpered again as soft tissue squeezed around me, but I didn’t black out this time. I moved my arms up near my face so I wouldn’t get a mouth or nose full of slime and concentrated on my breathing. In and out, slow and steady so I wouldn’t be tempted to hyperventilate. The grip Sans’ throat had on me was surprisingly gentle, strong enough to force me down but I slid along the smooth surface easily and the pressure never got too uncomfortable.

And since I wasn’t panicking I could actually tell for sure that Sans was tilting his body, and it was clear why as soon as I entered his stomach.

Instead of dropping down to the pit of his stomach, I slid in. And as he tilted his body upright again I want sliding even more until I finally came to a stop at the bottom. I silently thanked him for that. With my legs not working, and especially with my spine broken back then, I could have gotten even more hurt.

I just lay there silently, taking in the situation. I did it, I was here. I was maybe a little bit stunned, but I wasn’t panicking or blacking out or feeling sick. If anything I felt some relief. Maybe even accomplishment.

“kiddo, you okay? if you want out just punch me, alright?”

Punch him? Okay. But I was feeling okay, so I just lay still and relaxed. I decided to close my eyes instead to listen to the sounds around me. …Yep, there was that hum of his soul…why was it starting to speed up?

“kid?!” Why did he sound so frantic? “can ya hear me?! one tap fer ‘no’ and two fer ‘yes’!”

Oh, right. I had been lying completely still ever since I got here. For all he knew I  _had_  actually fainted. So I shook myself out of my little stupor to lift my hand to give him two pats. Instantly the humming calmed and the gel around me turned a bit softer.

“huff, okay. still feeling okay though?”

I patted twice again, using the same code as before.

There was another, calmer sigh, followed by a soft chuckle. Still strong enough to make my surrounding bounce slightly though.

“hey, kiddo, guess what? you actually did it.”

I chuckled too, little huffs of silent breath leaving my own chest. Yeah, I guess I did. I must be crazy. I tapped twice again, still feeling a bit in a daze.

“heh, now tell me, was it that bad?”

Well, yes and no. I tapped trice. I was starting to feel much better now, but still…

“yeah, okay. i guess that scare before must still have been pretty emotionally draining at first. but, are you feeling more comfortable now at least?”

I smiled, tapping twice. I was happy that Sans had picked up on that at least. It had been pretty…pretty…..

I stretched my arms high over my head and yawned. It was just so warm in here, and soft. And with the feezy wind and clatter of rain and the fuss over being eaten was gone I felt sleep start to tug at my eyelids again.

He let out another chuckle, this one even softer, and fonder, than the last.

“say, how about we get some shuteye? it’s still dark out, the rain is coming down quite hard. at times like this little babybones like you should be floating around in the dream realm.”

One of my stretching arms came down in two pats. Maybe I should be more cautious. Maybe my mind should have jumped to millions of worst case scenarios. I should have felt an uncomfortable wringing in my chest at the knowledge of where I was. But they never came. Maybe there was an anxious voice buzzing at the back of my mind, but I was just so tired and it was being completely overwhelmed by how calm and safe I was feeling.

“just a sec.” The voice outside spoke, before my surroundings started to shift and role. Slowly though, so I wasn’t thrown around to much. After a bit he stopped and everything settled down with a satisfied sigh.

“there we go, now you just find a cozy spot to sleep. I bet there’s more than enough options. and if at any point you wake up feeling scared or uncomfortable, just punch me. i know how i look in the morning, but i’m a light sleeper. just wake me up and i’ll spit ya out right away.”

After hearing him out I did as he asked, wiggling around a little bit until I found a little indent in the stomach wall that was just to my liking. And with a few little shoves the soft gel shifted and molded more snugly around me.

Content with my sleeping arrangements, I nuzzled my cheek into a soft bump. It was a bit slimy, but as long as it didn’t get in my nose or mouth it wasn’t uncomfortable. Closing my eyes I yawned one last time. And then I allowed the darkness to sweep over my mind.

Before my mind became oblivious to the outside world, a soft baritone voice rumbled through the darkness.

“goodnight, sweetheart.”

I only had enough wakefulness left to answer with a little rub.


End file.
